The Shadow and The Spotlight
by TwilightLuver-BabyDoll98225
Summary: When Edward and Bella decide to volunteer in a mental hospital for their Senior Project, Bella doesn't expect to see someone there, with a secret that has the power to break her and change her relationship with Edward forever. What happens when the secret is exposed, all hell breaks loose and Bella's life crumples all around her? Will Edward be able to pick up the pieces? OOC
1. Preface

**AN: Okay, so I decided to write a new story. Basically, it's set after New Moon. It follows the storyline of Twilight and NM, where Bella comes to live with Charlie, Edward and Bella fall in love, the Cullens are vampires, ect. But it is OOC and the storyline drifts from the context of the book.**

**The idea wont leave me so I'm writing it. Warning though, some characters are completely out of character.**

**Please leave a review. Even just a word.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Why did this happen? Why did it happen to me, to my sister, to the Cullens, to Charlie?

This was all my mother's fault.

Mother. The word rang through my brain, inprinting itself into my skull.

I never had a mother. I had an abuser, I had a neglecter and I had a tantrum throwing, mental unstable child.

But I never had a mother.

I glanced up at Edward from my seat on his lap, my head buried in the crook of his neck. Blinking back the tears, I tried to pull myself together. I tried to reenter reality, once again, from where I was buried inside my own psyche.

I knew Charlie, Carlisle and Esme were discussing me with the doctor. They were discussing me and my mother and my sister.

Sister. The person who I loved and hated the most. She was ten months younger than me, barely an age difference by any means. She was perfect. Her hair, her face, her personality, her natural ability at _everything_.

She was the child my mother always wanted. The one my mother always said I'd never be. She was everything I was not. She was perfect.

And yet, she was now in a mental hospital, unable to function. My sister was a product of her upbringing. So was I.

While I should have been developing into a normal little girl, who liked toys and sparkles and Disney, I was being locked in a closet, fed old food, stuck with creepy men, cruelly punished, sent to a prestigious dance school where I didn't belong, being compared to my sister.

But my sister didn't have it too easy either. Being forced to train in elite dance every day, seven days a week, from five years old. My sister was shoved around, punished for ever not being perfect, socially isolated, taught to stick her finger down her throat at nine.

Our mother made us this way and we were powerless to stop it.

Maybe I could have gotten someone to notice, someone to help, if I would have known how. But I was told from the beginning of my memory that I was worthless.

_They're not going to help you. No one cares about you, Isabella. No one ever will. Do us all a favor and disappear. _

That became my talent: disappearing.

My sister's talent was the opposite. She was better off visible. She could always make people believe she was perfect.

Maybe she really was.

But lying here, in Edward's lap, I knew I had ended up better off. He loved me, through thick and through thin. And my sister had no one.

And though I loved her more than anything, I couldn't help the fact that I was happy on some level that she was suffering worse than me, the sister who had always been inferior to her, the one who should have never been born, the mistake.

I'd protect her to the ends of the Earth but sometimes I really wanted to see her thrown into a shark tank. She was put on a pedal-stool so high and I had been pushed down to a place so low, we were bound to hold a grudge against each other.

Part of me couldn't help but resent the fact that she was always in the spotlight.

And I was always in her shadow.

**AN: Very short but this wont be a pattern. This is the shortest thing I've ever written. Anyway, if you're confused, good. This is the preface so all the questions will be answered really soon. And, no this is not AH.**

**Just review please! I really would like to know how you feel about this story. Please.**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay so here's the first chapter. Obviously the last chapter was the Preface. I hope you give this story a chance. I know it's a little out there and that it is OOC but I know where it's going. Please review if you read, it doesn't matter what you say just let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas.**

"Mmm," I murmured as my impossibly perfect vampire boyfriend continued to kiss below my earlobe, occasionally brushing it with his tongue. "You don't make _your_ restrictions very easy," I complained. His rules for our relationship were ridiculous if you asked me. He'd never hurt me. I had a better chance of getting hurt with a normal, human guy.

Edward pushed away from me gently, sighing before putting his hands up to where I could see them, like a criminal. "Better?" He raised an eyebrow.

I pouted slightly. "I was hoping for the opposite reaction." I wanted him to kick all his rules and listen to me for once.

"It's good you still have hope deep inside." He smirked before walking ahead of me into the biology room.

I rolled my eyes and mumbled about immature, stubborn vampires as I plopped down in my seat next to him at the back table. Unable to stay even for a minute frustrated with him, I reached over and took his hand into mine. He raised our interlocked fingers and kissed mine softly. "I'm sorry I gave you false hope." He turned his smolder on me.

I rolled my eyes again but couldn't help blushing as I replied, "I didn't really mind."

He barked out a laugh as Mr. Banner started talking. "Who in here are seniors?" He asked the class. We raised our hands dully. "How many have done. . . ." My attention was suddenly diverted elsewhere by Edward's hand reached over to grab his pencil out of his bag, right by my leg. I could feel his muscles in his arm against my thigh. I squirmed and shifted, trying to remain focused. Edward looked at me quizzically for moment before moving his hand to slip underneath my thigh, scratching it for me.

"Do you have an inch?" He asked, genuinely curious. I nodded, easier than telling him the truth. But I also blushed as I turned back towards the front of the classroom and I knew he didn't believe me.

". . . . And you kids really need to get on this. You're graduating in one month, you guys. That's barely enough time to start, finish and present a Culminating Project."

Realization hit me like a brick wall. "Oh my god!" I moaned, laying my head against Edward's stack of books on the lab table.

"What is it, love?" He asked concerned.

"I cant do this! I'm going to fail high school and never graduate."

"Bella!" Edward hissed under his breath. "You won't fail high school, I promise." He moved my hair that had fanned over my face. "Now tell me what's wrong." He demanded.

"The deadline for Culminating Projects are month and I haven't even started mine!" I exclaimed quietly, wanting to keep from drawing attention.

Comprehension crossed his features and he began to rub my back soothingly. "I'm sure you will find something to do for your senior project." He comforted. "I probably could give you a few ideas." He suggested. "Lord knows how many senior projects I've done over the years."

"In a month?" I exclaimed. "I can't do it in a month!" I moaned, aware of how whiny I sounded but I couldn't find it in myself to really care. Why hadn't I thought about this sooner? Charlie had been pestering me about it, even. How did I not notice the deadline?

Words like Italy, vampires, werewolves, grounded and missing hikers popped into my brain.

"Bella," Edward called me out of my thoughts. "I will not let you fail high school, I swear. I'll help you with your Culminating Project. Besides," A sly grin appeared on his face, "I have yet to start mine as well."

I huffed. "Mr. Perfect doesn't have it already done?"

"Mr. Perfect has a very distracting girlfriend." Edward commented, pressing his lips to my hair. "And he'll help her with her project too, because he's just so caring."

I rolled my eyes for a third time. "As long as Mr. Perfect will still love his distracting girlfriend when she fails high school and is working at McDonald's."

He smiled cheekily. "Well, as long as she doesn't get fat from eating the food there."

I whacked him in the face-gently to keep from hurting myself. Edward mock glared at me and pointed to the front of the class where Mr. Banner was still teaching, as if telling me to pay attention.

For the remainder of the period I managed to stay on task, reading the textbook and taking notes silently. It wasn't easy though, with Edward constantly trying to distract me. I was starting to think he got a kick out of watching me flustered.

When I got home after school, my worries about my Senior Project were all but gone. Edward had managed to distract my mind entirely. My focus was taken in a whole new direction though when I entered the house to see my father pacing the living room, his head down.

"Dad?" I called after standing there for a minute. Charlie's head popped up at me, like I was a ghost. "Dad, what's wrong?" I was abruptly panicked, hurrying into the living room from the entryway.

Charlie didn't speak for a few more seconds. "W-where's Edward?" He asked, his voice strained.

I looked around for a second before answering. His question threw me through a loop. "I thought I wasn't allowed to have company over until eight. . . ." Charlie didn't look too involved in what I was saying as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "My visiting hours?" If Charlie had forgotten about his new rules since Edward came back, I was all in favor but at the moment it didn't look like Charlie even remembered he grounded me.

"Wait!" Realization struck me. "Dad, what are you doing here? You've never home at this time." I asked, my voice growing sharper when he didn't look up from his phone. "Charlie, what's on that phone?" I reached over and tried to grab it out of his hands but he snapped it shut and stuck it in his pocket before I could get it out of his hands.

He looked at me again, his face clearly shell shocked. "Don't worry about this, Bells." He warned after a minute. "Just something going on at work, that's all." His voice was almost back to normal but I continued to scrutinize him.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" I asked reluctantly after a moment of silence.

"No!" He answered immediately. "No, of course not, honey. It's just. . . . work stuff."

I sighed before deciding to let it go. It wouldn't be the first time something happened at the station that Charlie couldn't share and he was a big boy. He could handle himself. He'd managed all the years before I came to live with him. I shuddered at the thought of my childhood. Unpleasant memories began to enter my mind before I could will them away.

Feeling sort of sick, I swallowed the lump in my throat before turning towards the dining room. "I'm going to do my homework."

X.

Dinner came and went with very few words, the only sound coming from the TV. I wondered idly what Charlie's problem was but I also knew he wouldn't want to share it with me no matter how much I bugged him. I guess I knew where I had gotten my quiet reserve from.

"Bella?" Charlie suddenly called from his chair in the living room. I dropped the plate I had been scrubbing into the sea of bubbles and walked towards my Dad.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to be gone most of tomorrow," He informed, barely taking his eyes off the television. "This, uh, new case is taking up a lot of my time." I knew right there from his stutter he was lying to me. He was also where I had inherited my awful lying skills.

But I didn't understand why. What purpose did he have for lying about a stupid police case? If it was just his work then why was he acting so weird?

Instead of accusing him right then and there, I just nodded before heading back into the kitchen. "Do you want me to pack you a lunch?" I asked, my voice uneven.

"No thanks, honey." He called back. He appeared to be entranced in the game on TV now.

I started to pack away the leftovers from dinner when I suddenly had the urge to go wait for Edward to show up so he would tell me what was up with Charlie.

Deciding that was what I was going to do, I quickly saran-wrapped the chicken legs and filled a plastic tub with macaroni and cheese before shoving both in the fridge and calling to Charlie that I was going to turn in early. I didn't stick around to see his expression.

Alice must have seen this because as soon as I opened the door, Edward was sprawled out on my bed. I was momentarily speechless, unable to remember what I wanted to ask him.

He smiled up at me smugly, putting his heads behind his head. "I have solved all your problems, my love."

My eyes widened as I moved forward to climb on the bed next him. "How so?"

"You were worried that you would fail high school if you didn't get your Culminating Project done, correct?" He clarified.

"Yes, that is correct." I couldn't help but match his grin.

"Well I talked to Carlisle earlier and we can volunteer in the treatment unit of the hospital." He smiled at me, turning onto his side so that he was facing me. "I figured you'd do better there than around all that blood."

I laughed, returning his happiness before putting my arms around his neck like a vice, hugging him to me. "Thank you," I whispered against his throat. "You may have just saved me from McDonald's."

Edward sat upwards completely, taking me with him so that I was straddling his lap. "Too bad. I think you'd look pretty cute in that uniform." He teased, pressing his lips to my jugular.

I knew he was teasing me but I couldn't think of anything to say back so instead, I kissed his lips softly and sweetly. He kissed me back, returning my elatement. Moving my lips, I opened slightly, trying to give him easier access to my mouth.

Almost immediately he picked me up and set me on the bed next to him, pulling our mouths apart. I planned on pouting but instead I laid back, my head spinning. "Are you ever going to ease up on your rules?" I complained slightly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "No." He stated, point blank, before standing up and removing my shoes and over-shirt for me. "No, go to sleep."

I glared at him. "I'm not even tired."

"Well, you're probably going to be bored tomorrow so I'd like you to be well rested." He said lightly as he pulled back the covers and climbed into first.

"Why?" I asked, climbing in bed after him.

"Because we're going to be going down to the hospital first thing in the morning and getting checked out." He answered, pulling me tighter to him.

"Checked out?" I questioned, suspiciously. "Like needles?" I couldn't disguise the fear in my voice.

Edward's chest shook as he laughed at me. "No, not needles. I already confirmed with Carlisle that you will not need to give a blood sample or get any shots. They just want to give you a physical really quick. It's standard for any volunteers."

"Who's going to be your doctor?" I asked sleepily as I buried myself deeper into his side.

I could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "Carlisle, of course. We've had to get physicals before so Carlisle has basically memorized how to fill out our papers appropriately." He explained, his voice growing smoother as he realized I was probably falling asleep.

Just before I fell asleep I remembered what I was planning on asking him. "Hey, Edward?" I tried to mumble but drowsiness was fighting to overtake me. "I got a question."

"Yes, love?" He asked, stroking my hair gently, making it harder to stay awake.

"Why. . . . is . . Charlie. . . . . ." But I fell asleep before I could finish.

**AN: The next chapter will be up tomorrow or maybe even today depending on people's response. Once again, please review. I know it's slow right now but the next chapter picks up the pace a ton.**

**XOXO**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Alright, I finally finished the chapter. Please review. I love reading them. If you've already reviewed, I'm sorry I didn't PM you, I've been busy. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

When Edward said first thing in the morning, he really wasn't kidding. I was woken up at 9 o' clock sharp by cool vampire hands on my back, marble lips kissing my neck. "Time to get up, love." He whispered in my ear. I groaned but didn't argue with Edward, sleepily climbing from bed.

An hour later I was riding shotgun to the hospital, my knees shaking with anticipation. "Bella," Edward called wryly, even though he wasn't even two feet from me. "We're going to get a physical and registered as volunteers, not to get a heart transplant. You don't have to be so uptight."

My legs continued to bounce, even with his reassurances. "I don't like hospitals," I mumbled, looking out the window at the raindrops.

"I already told you, there will be no needles."

I took his reassurances with a grain of salt, aware that the last time he promised 'No Needles', I ended getting the flu shot.

Edward took my hand reassuringly as he sped into the hospital parking lot. "It's going to be fine, Bella." He reminded me sternly. "You're blowing this out of proportion."

I nodded, staring straight ahead at the windshield. Edward pulled into the parking lot and let go of my hand, only to appear outside my door not a second later.

"Hospital security cameras," I warned under my breath as I climbed from the Volvo.

Edward laughed. "Never been caught on tape. They think it's a glitch." I rolled my eyes. I was better at protecting his secret than he was sometimes.

As soon as we got through the doors, Carlisle made his way towards us. "Hello, Bella," He greeted brightly. "Good to see you this morning."

I smiled back. "Thanks for letting me volunteer here."

"Oh, its not problem, honey." Carlisle guided us through the lobby and into a waiting room where there was another doctor, male with brown hair and glasses, waiting with a clipboard. "Bella," Carlisle introduced. "This is Dr. Tiff. He'll be giving you a physical today while I check out Edward."

Edward squeezed my hand, before dropping it completely. "It'll see you in a few minutes, love." He tipped my face up to kiss me.

I watched my vampires walk away before turning to Dr. Tiff. He smiled genuine enough. "Hello, Bella." He said pleasantly. "How about we go to my office?"

I nodded and followed him down the hall, trailing slightly behind. "You're the Chief's daughter, correct?" He asked as I climbed onto the gurney. I sighed a little. Every new member of this town always had a knack of identifying me by my father.

"Yes, I am." I said, trying to control my annoyance.

The doctor hesitated, looking at his notes. "Is Swan a common last name?"

I was taken back by the odd question. "Um, I don't know, really."

Dr. Tiff nodded, apparently dropping the subject. For the rest of the exam, everything else was basically standard. I was weighed and measured and asked questions and they did check if I needed any new shots-I would give Edward an earful later.

It wasn't until the end that the appointment got weird again. Right as he was helping me down from the gurney, he gasped. "What is that?" He asked, holding my arm up to reveal a deep scar right above my ribcage. I realized in my haste and tired state this morning, I had put on a tank top that Alice bought me, low enough on the sides that one scar was visible.

I quickly recoiled from the doctor, yanking my arm out of his grip a little too fast. "When I was sixteen, I turned the wrong way while dinner was being made and was cut by a knife." I blurted out before I could think.

It was close enough to the cover story I'd already given to the few doctors I'd seen. It was close enough to the true story.

Dr. Tiff looked alarmed by it. "Can I look?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I've seen several doctors. They all say it just going to be sensitive for a long time." I quickly said, covering my tracks.

It wasn't a lie and that's the only reason I could say it convincingly enough. He obviously bought it too because he nodded and then handed me a clipboard. "I've got another patient waiting but if you could, please fill out your background information," He pointed to the clipboard.

I nodded, still nervous and wanting to leave. "Alright," I agreed, edging towards the door.

He dismissed me and I was out that office and down the hall as fast as I could with drawing attention. Once I got into the waiting room, I let myself breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing Edward wasn't done yet, I sat down in a vacant chair and looked at the clipboard, studying the questions.

_Date of Birth._ Pretty standard question. Not much to do with my background though.

_Number of siblings_. Once again, standard but off topic.

_Sexually Active?_ Okay, now that was just personal. I was tempted to write, _I wish._

_Anxiety? Depression?_ How much do I need to qualify for that? I quickly decided to just write down no.

_Relationship with parents?_ How is that relevant to my volunteering? Did everyone who helped out here have to do this paper?

_Criminal record?_ I could easily answer that one.

_Mental disorders in the family?_ I didn't know that one off the top of my head. Instead though, I denied it.

My mother was crazy enough, but I wasn't going to advertise that.

The rest of the questions were basically the same. I wrote down generic answers before giving it to the receptionist and waiting for Edward.

He was longer than I would have thought, given that Carlisle and him were vampires.

As soon as he was out though, I threw myself into his arms. "Someone's happy to see me," Edward chuckled, kissing my hair.

"Someone took forever."

Edward laughed. "Carlisle got caught up with another patient. I couldn't resist observing." He explained, his eyes bright with excitement.

The joy on his face made me wish that he could follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor. He'd be so good working with people.

I touched the corner of his mouth that was upwards in a grin. He loved the medical field. I tried to remind myself that it was his age that kept him from pursing medical practice, not me.

Carlisle appeared not too long after we broke apart. He finished filling out Edward's paperwork before turning to us. "Would you guys like a tour?" Carlisle spoke only to me. Edward knew the hospital like the back of his hand.

I should too, honestly, as much as I come here. "Sure," I accepted brightly.

Carlisle led the way down the halls, through corridors I'd never noticed before. I was surprised. I was at hospitals so often, especially since coming to Forks, that I thought I knew everywhere they led.

He led us down a back hallway, until we reached an elevator. "This leads to the psychiatric ward," Edward explained before I could ask.

Carlisle swiftly pushed the button and the elevator shot down a few levels. I remembered my phobia of elevators when I was younger. Then again, I think I had a phobia of everything when I was younger. And I mean everything.

I gripped Edward's hand tighter when we stepped off the elevator and into a different hallway. Carlisle continued to point to doors and explain where the led and what they contained.

I noticed down one hallway, there were lines of doors with whiteboard-like name plates. "Those are for the in-patient rooms." Edward whispered to me, obviously catching my staring.

I nodded but didn't comment back. Truth is, the rooms creeped me out a bit. Edward squeezed my hand lightly, trying to reassure me for some reason.

Maybe it was a little dense of me, but I didn't know Carlisle had so many friends. Of course, it was a no brainer. He was charming and kind. Yet, I still couldn't help being surprised by the fact that he had so many people to talk to.

As we continued to walk down the off white walled hallways, another man that I immediately recognized as a doctor came walking from the other direction. "Hello, Carlisle." He greeted warmly.

Carlisle smiled back, "Good morning, Dr. Snow."

"What brings you around on your day off?" Dr. Snow asked, checking his clipboard.

"My son, Edward and his girlfriend, Bella will be volunteering here for a few weeks." Carlisle motioned towards us.

I smiled shyly at the doctor as Edward stiffened. I instantly looked up at him, curiously, but his face was suddenly controlled. As the doctors continued to talk, Edward lost concentration and went completely still for a little too long to appear human had anyone else been watching.

When Edward finally turned to look at me, his face was different. Calculating, almost.

Before I could press him for whatever just happened, Dr. Snow interrupted us. "So will you two be interacting with the patients?" He asked.

Carlisle answered for us. "Yes, they both are very excited."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Dr. Snow suddenly burst. "I almost forgot. I need to ask you if you can take over a patient for me."

Carlisle looked taken back. "Yes, of course I can, but if you don't mind my asking, why?"

"Since Dr. Short-Miller left for maturity leave, we've been on overflow on taking over her patients and I have a few too many." Dr. Snow admitted, sheepishly.

Carlisle smiled, motioning towards Dr. Snow's clipboard. "May I see their file?"

"She's right in the activities room around the corner. Why don't you go see her yourself?" He pointed.

Edward towed me by the hand down the hall, following Carlisle to the activities room. "Edward," I tugged on his hand that was holding mine. "What's wrong?" He didn't answer but continued to pull me with him.

Carlisle walked ahead of us into the room, looking around. The room was crowded with tables and chairs and couches. There was a ping pong table and a TV playing a movie. Honestly, it didn't look like a mental institution; it looked like a room designed for pre-teens.

Dr. Snow quickly pointed out to Carlisle the couch in the corner of the room, next to almost nothing else. There, a girl with chestnut brown hair and faded tan skin sat. She had her hair pulled back by a headband and not a scratch of make up on her face. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, her eyes completely dead, staring off into space.

And in that moment I realized it was my sister.

"Rain?"

**AN: There you have it. I'll update soon, I promise.**

**And once again, feel free to review and tell me how you feel. It means a lot to me.**


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